Comedians and coughing - our round-up of Conference Season

Tom Sheppard - Head of Public Affairs

The Labour and Conservative party conferences made the headlines for standing ovations and sore throats, but also for a dramatic announcement on sentencing for animal cruelty. As usual, the League attended the conferences and spoke to many MPs from both parties about our key issues. Here's a quick round up of what happened.

Labour conference

This year’s Labour conference started with the Labour Animal Rights Group fringe event. The League spoke on a panel focusing on ‘Why the animal protection vote matters’, alongside Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman MP, Mark Jones (Born Free), Dominic Dyer (Badger Trust), animal welfare campaigner Anneka Svenska, Shadow Transport Secretary Rachael Maskell MP, and Mark Avery (whose thoughts on the event you can find here). As one would expect, the topics covered ranged quite widely, but two came up frequently: firstly, the badger cull, and secondly, driven grouse shooting. Also speaking at the event was League Trustee Chris Williamson MP, who gave a rousing speech highlighting the importance of animal rights activism.

Given recent events, it is understandable that the badger cull is foremost in people’s minds. With the Government apparently unwilling to listen to the scientific evidence demonstrating that the cull is ineffective and inhumane, the League is asking supporters to consider giving time or more to the Wounded Badger Patrols in operation.

There was some frustration expressed about Labour’s failure to support a ban on driven grouse shooting. However, it is heartening to hear Labour MPs acknowledge the significant problems – both animal welfare and environmental - it causes, and we will continue to pressure MPs of all parties over this.

Our own contribution to the panel focused on hunting, including how and why it became such a significant issue during the election. According to an analysis by Buzzfeed, hunting was the sixth most discussed issue online during the election, ahead of Brexit and just behind security and terrorism. Several commentators have suggested it may have cost the Conservatives a majority in the Commons. While our opponents like to deride the idea of an ‘animal welfare vote’ it is clear that this is an issue that can vote the dial when it comes to elections.

Looking forward, we also raised the National Trust campaign, and asked those in attendance who are National Trust members to vote to end trail hunting on NT land.

Conservative Party conference

This year’s Conservative Party conference got off to a great start when Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced plans to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences to five years. The League, along with other organisations, have been calling an increase from the current maximum of six months, so we were delighted by this news.

We were also pleased to hear Mr Gove single out dog fighting as part of the reason for the increase. A consultation on the legislation is due out early next year and we look forward to contributing to that.

On the second night, we held our annual reception at Conservative conference – a chance to engage with Conservative MPs and grassroots alike. This year, we focused on our ongoing investigations into dog fighting at home and abroad, highlighting the need for an increase in animal cruelty sentencing alongside a register of convicted animal abusers. Speaking alongside the League’s Philippa King was former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers MP, who spoke strongly against animal abuse, and welcomed the Government’s announcement on maximum sentences.

Latest

Positive measures to protect animals have been announced by the government today. The Animal Welfare Bill 2018 includes an increase in sentencing for animal abuse from a maximum of six months jail to five years, and also states that animal sentience must be recognised in any future laws.

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Positive measures to protect animals have been announced by the government today. The Animal Welfare Bill 2018 includes an increase in sentencing for animal abuse from a maximum of six months jail to five years, and also states that animal sentience must be recognised in any future laws.

This blog post corrects many errors published in a December 2017 Metro’s article about fox hunting, in which it confuses trail hunting, drag hunting and clean boot hunting. The post sets the record straight regarding recent incidents of hunt violence and intimidation, and rebukes some of the mistruths perpetuated by the pro-hunt lobby.

Wildlife crime, including the chasing and killing of animals using loopholes in the law, came under the microscope when the League Against Cruel Sports joined forces with the police at a prestigious conference this weekend.

A county council in West Sussex has banned new tenants from using cruel and indiscriminate snares to capture live animals on its land. The ban came into force this summer and is attracting interest from other councils across the UK.

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As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment in Spain, Portugal, France, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.